Pattern chain control mechanism



April 15, 1941. F. R. PAGE PATTERN CHAIN CONTROL MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE Filed Jan. 12, 1939 BY HIS ATTORNEYS April 15, 1941. F. R. PAGE PATTERN CHAIN CONTROL MECHANISM Filed Jan. 12, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE BY HIS ATTORNEYS Filed Jan. 12, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 a El.

' INVENTOR FRANK R. PAGE BY HIS ATTORNEYS April 15, 1941. F. R. PAGE PATTERN 01mm CONTROL MECHANISM '4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 12, 1939 E S m w II- -I- A II m m T m R m K m m m R Y W F B 2 m 3 n F W, 9 WEN v a /l/ Q Q I 1 N I I r w 9 A 4 w M j. w a a Patented Apr. 15, 1941 amaze Franklll, notation of Massachusetts PATTERN CHAIN CONTROL MECHANISM Page. Laconia, N. IL, assignmto Scott a Laconia, N. 11., a cor- Applicaticn January 12, 1939, Serial No. 250,607

19 Claims. (Cl. 66-154) This invention relates to means for controlling the pattern chains of knitting machines and more particularly circular knitting machines having a plurality of yarn feeds and it is an object of this invention to provide means for advancing the pattern chains of circular knitting machines additional fractional portions of the length of a chain link without interfering with or modifying the usual operation of the pattern chain and main pattern drum whereby the number of courses knit in the formation of a partof a stocking may be changed.

In the drawings in which preferred modifications of this invention are shown- Figure l is a fragmentary view in side elevation showing the application of this invention to a Scott and Williams circular knitting machine, only such parts being shown as is necessary to illustrate the invention.

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the structure shown in Figure 1, additional related parts being shown to make clear the application of the invention to the knitting machine with which it is associated;

Figures 3 and 4 are views similar to Figure l of a construction adjustable to shift the pat tern chain different amounts. Figure 3 showing the construction adjusted to shift the pattern chain to the extent of one-third of a link and Figure 4 to the extent of two-thirds of a link;

Figure his a partial view in front elevation of a further modification; and

Figure 6 is'a partial sectional view taken on line H of Figure and showing in side elevation parts of the structure shown in Figure 5.

In the circular knitting machines of the Scott and Williams type the usual arrangement is to rack the pattern chain forward one-third of one of the chain links every fourth revolution of the needle cylinder so that on a single-feed machine one link of the pattern chain corresponds to twelve courses of knitting. This is a reasonably satisfactory arrangement inasmuch as twelve courses of knitting approximate the difference in length between stocking feet of successive sizes and the change from one size to another can be readily made by adding a link to or taking a link from the pattern chain. On a three-feed machine. however, with three courses being knit each revolution of the needle cylinder racking the pattern chain every fourth revolution makes each racking of the pattern chain correspond to twelve courses and a link to thirty-six courses or approximately three sizes. It is necessary, therefore toprovide means on a three-feed machine for changing the length of the chain with respect to the revolutions of the needle cylinder by a fraction of a length of the chain link. Thus, if the pattern chain can be advanced an extra one or two racks during the knitting of the foot on a three-feed machine the size of the foot is reduced one or two sizes thereby and, if an extra link has also been added to this portion ofthe pattern chain the length of the foot is increased only two sizes or one thereby instead of the three sizes normally resulting from the addition of a chain link.

In the drawings, the invention is shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, in connection with mechanism for operating the needle cylinder, pattern chain and pattern drum such as is shown in the patent to Scott, No. 1,152,850, only so much of the mechanism of the patent being shown as is necessary to illustrate the invention. As shown in the Scott patent, there is provided a pinion ll fixed on a sleeve 48 which is journaled in the machine frame A and driven by the usual drive pulley (not shown). The pinion l8 meshes with a gear l0 Journaled on a shaft mounted in the frame A and having a pin 8| fixed therein on which is Journaled one end of the pitman or link ID. The other end of the link II is journaled on. a pin ll mounted in a quadrant II which is Journaled on a shaft Ii mounted in the machine frame A. The quadrant II is formed with an extended or projecting hub having arms supporting pins-:on which are mounted the pawls i2 and 81, the pawl 81 being arranged to operate the ratchet wheel 88 and sprocket 84 on shaft II for advancing the pattern chain 85 while the pawl 82 is arranged to operate the ratchet wheel H to rotate the shaft 80. The operation of the ratchet wheel 8|..by the pawl 82 is controlled by lugs on the pattern chain 85 engaging the usual means 83 which cause the pawl 82 to advance the ratchet wheel II and shaft at irregular intervals in the usual manner.

The quadrant 16 engages a gear 35 to rotate said gear in opposite directions on a shaft 32 as the quadrant is reciprocated. The shaft 32 is journaled in the machine frame adjacent thegear v 85 and has an end journaled in the sleeve 4.

The shaft 32 is the usualmain drive shaft by which the needle cylinder is operated and has the clutch ll slidingly keyed thereon and operated by the slide 92 to be engaged with either of the gears 35 and 38 to connect the selected gear to the shaft I! in the usual manner. The slide .2 has a cam follower ll engaging in the cam track of a drum ll fixed on the shaft ll ratchet wheel the track being arranged to shift the slide 82 on its rod 88 to shift the clutch 88 from one the other as the drum 80 is rotated by the 8| and pawl 82. The construction so far described is the construction shown in the Scott patent and causes the ratchet wheel 08 to be advanced one tooth for every four revolutions of the needle cylinder and the cam drum 88 to be advanced in accordance with the pattern determined by the lugs on the links of the pattern chain 85. The'movement of the drum 80 is irregular, some racking movements being long and some short in the usual manner.

To provide the pattern chain 85 with an extra. movement, as during the knitting of the instep and sole of a stocking foot there is provided a gear to lever 40 pivotally mounted on a pin 4i secured in the machine frame and having an arm 40' alined with a cam 42 attached to the gear 88. The lever 40 is also provided with a second arm 40 having a cam 40 adiustably mounted in the end thereof and positioned to be engaged by a pin 85 fixed in an end of the drum 80. Pivotally attached to the arm 40' adjacent the upper end thereof is a pawl 48 which is bent, as shown in Figure 2, so as to engage the ratchet wheel 88. A suitable stop 41 limits the outward movement of the lever".

In the operation of this device, the pawls 81 and 82 advance the pattern chain 85 and drum 80, respectively, until, during the knitting of the portion of the instep and sole, a movement of the drum 80 carries the pin 85 past the lower end of the cam 40, raising the cam 40 and lever 48 to place the lever arm 40" in position to be operated by the cam 42 on gear 88 and retracting the pawl 45 to engage the next tooth on the ratchet wheel 88. Rotation of the gear 88, which is synchronous with the rotation of the needle cylinder, causes the cam 42 to operate the lever 48 and, through the pawl 45, advance the ratchet wheel 88 to the extent of one tooth. The gear 88 rotates four times for each revolution of the gear 80 so a relation of the operation of the lever 40 by the cam 42 to the operation of the pawl 81, once established, is always maintained thereafter. To make the operation of the pawl 45 effective the pin 85 is placed to lift the lever 40 and shift the pawl 45 at such a time that the cam 42 operates the lever 40 and pawl 45 while the pawl 81 is being retracted so that the movement of the ratchet wheel 88 and chain 85 by the pawl 45 is an added movement thereof and reduces the number of courses knit during the movement of the chain 85 to pattern the foot of the stocking.

In the modified construction shown in Figures 3 and 4 the quadrant 15 operates the pawls 81 and 82 to advance the ratchet wheels 88 and 8| respectively, and the gear 88 is provided with a cam 42 as in the modification just described. The lever 50 to which the pawl 45 is secured is, however, pivotally supported on a pin 4!" which is placed differently from the pin 41 giving a longer arm 50' and a shorter arm 50 than the corresponding arms of the lever 40 of the previous modification. The arm 50 carries an adjustably mounted cam 40 positioned to be engaged by the pin 85 on the drum 80. In this construction the positions of the arms 50' and 50 and the ratio of their effective lengths is such that the cam 50 may be adjusted in the arm 50 so as to cause the pin 85 to shift the pawl to the extent of either one or two teeth on the ratchet wheel 88 without causing the cam w to be positioned so that my pin as will not engage the inclined cam face thereof. Movement of the pawl 45 two teeth of' the ratchetwheel 88 brings the arm 50 closer to the cylindrical face on which the cam 42 is carried than does a movement of one tooth so that the cam 42 causes a correspondingly greater operation of the pawl 45 and ratchet wheel 88. A stop 41 limits the outward movement of the lever 80. In the modified construction shown in Figures 5 and 6 the pinion 88 is fixed on a sleeve 48 journaled in the machine frame A and is driven by the usual drive pulley (not shown). The pinion 88 drives a gear (not shown) to which is pivotally connected an end of the pitma'n 10 which reciprocates a quadrant 15 provided with a hub 18' pivotally mounted on a shaft 11. The quadrant 15 engages with a gear 85 journaled on a shaft 82 which is journaled in the machine frame A adjacent the gear 85 and has an end journaled in the sleeve 48. A clutch 88 slidably keyed on the shaft 82 is operated from the clutch operating drum (not shown) to connect either the pinion 88 or the gear 85 to drive the knitting machine in rotary and reciprocating knitting, respectively, in the usual manner.

Joumaled on the shaft 11 is a sprocket 84 for the pattern chain 85 and attached to or formed integral with the sprocket 84 is a gear 5i which meshes with a gear 52 fixed on a shaft 58 journaled in the machine frame A. The shaft 58 I projects through the frame A and has mounted on the projecting end thereof an operating handle 54. Also fixed on the shaft 58 or connected directly to the gear 52 is a ratchet plate 55.

Projecting from the quadrant hub I5 and at an angle to the quadrant arm is an arm 18 formed integral with the hub 15 and pivotally connected at its outer end to a pawl member 18 by a pin 81 which is secured in the arm 18 by a set screw 88 and is of sufficient length to project beyond a side of the pawl member 18. At its free end the pawl member 18 has an extending lug 84 in which is mounted a pin 88 arranged to engage the ratchet wheel 81 for operating the main pattern drum I20. The pawl member 18 is biased to engage the pin 88 in the ratchet wheel 81 by a spring 88 having its opposite ends connected to the pawl member 18 and the machine frame A.

In order to control the operation of pattern drum I20 from the pattern chain in the usual way there is provided a lever 58 pivotally mounted on a rod 51 and having one arm 58 provided with an adjustably mounted cam 58 positioned to be engaged by lugs 58 on the pattern chain 85. The other arm 58 of the lever 58 has its outer end formed as a gear section which meshes with a correspondingly formed gear section on the outer end of an arm 82 of a lever 82 pivotally mounted on the shaft 11. The other arm 82 of the lever 82 has a pin 88 fixed therein in position to engage the pawl member 18; the levers 58 and 82 being biased by a spring 84 connected to the arms 58 and 82 of these levers to hold the pawl member 18 in a position keeping the pin 88 free from the ratchet wheel 81 and being operated by the engagement of a lug .58 on the pattern chain 85 to withdraw the pin I pivotaliy mounted on a rod ll carried by the machine frame A. Formed integral with the hub II are the arms II and 01, the arm I! being extended so as to be engaged and operated by the pin II in the arm 18 and the arm I. pivotally supporting a pawl member I, one end of which has a projection ii. The pawl member II is biased to engage the projection, II- with the ratchet plate II by a spring ll connected to the o.t:ier end of the pawl member it and to the arm I To operate the pattern chain II the additional portion of the length of a chain link there is provided a lever Ill pivotally mounted at one end on the machine frame A, as at Ill, and having a pawl member Ill pivotally molmted at its other end. The pawl member III has a laterally projecting pin III positioned to engage the ratchet plate II and a spring Ill connected to the pawl member III! and the arm ll keeps the pin III! in contact with the ratchet plate I. The lever I'M is provided with a cam I" posi tioned to engage cams on the main pattern drum I20 and is normally held in engagement with the drum I20 by a spring I" connected to the lever I and the machine frame A.

In the operation of the modification just described the reciprocation of the lever ll and pin ill by the operation of the quadrant 1i operis raised by the engagement of a lug on the pat-' tern chain with the cam II on arm ll. It will be noted that the pattern chain is shifted by the pawl member 88 when the arm ll moves in one direction and that the pawl member Ii is up erated to shift the main pattern drum by movement of the arm 18 in the opposite direction. Operation of the pattern chain by the pawl I I! will be simultaneous with the operation of the main pattern drum by the pawl II due to the engagement of the cam on the pattern drum with the cam III so there will be no conflict of the additional movement of the pattern chain by the pawl I02 with the usual movement of the pattern chain by the pawl 6|, II. The extent of the movement of the pawl ll! may be varied by the use of cams of different heights on the pattern drum and, in this way, the operation of the pattern chain may be adjusted to be either an additional one or two-thirds of the length of a chain link.

On the three-feed machine, as pointed out above, advancing the pattern chain an additional one-third of a link will shorten the stocking portion twelve courses or approximately one size while advancing the pattern chain an additional two-thirds of a link shortens the stocking portion twenty-four courses or two sizes. If it is desired to lengthen the stocking portion an additional link is placed in the pattern chain in that portion thereof which patterns the stocking portion it is desired to lengthen. Adding the extra link would normally lengthen the stocking portion thirty-six courses or three sizes, but by advancing the pattern chain either two-thirds or one-third of a link the increase in the length of the stocking portion can be kept to twelve or twenty-four courses, that is, one or two sizes, as.

desired. In each case, it will be noted the efmeans providing a variable additional operation of said chain.

2. In a circular knitting machine, a pattern chain, operating means for said chain providing a uniform step by step operation thereof and means providing a variable additional operation of the length of one or more steps of the uniform operation of said chain. I

3. In a circular knitting machine, a pattern chain, operating means for said chain providing a uniform step by step operation thereof and means providing an additional operation of said chain of a variable fraction of the length of a link of said chain.

4. In a circular knitting machine, a pattern chain, operating means for said chain providing a uniform step by step operation thereof and means for operating said chain to provide 9. variable additional operation of said chain.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a pattern chain, operating means for said chain providing a step by step operation thereof and means providing an additional operation of said chain between sucoessive operations of said chain by said first means.

6. In a circular knitting machine, a pattern chain, operating means for said chain providing uniformly timed step by step operation thereof and means providing an additional operation of said chain between successive operations of said chain by said first means.

7. In a circular knitting machine, a pattern chain, operating means for said chain providing uniformly timed step by step operation thereof and means providing an additional operation of said chain between successive operations of said chain by "said first means and means to vary the extent of the operation of said chain by said second chain operating means.

8. In a circular knitting machine, a pattern chain, operating means for said chain providing uniformly timed step by step operation thereof,

and means for operating said chain a multiple of the operation by said first means between successive operations of said chain by said first means.

9. In a circular knitting machine, a pattern chain, means for advancing said chain in uniformly timed uniform steps, means for operating said chain between successive operations by said first means, said additional operation being one or more times the extent of the operation of said chain by said first means.

10. Ina hosiery knitting machine for knitting stockings of different lengths, a pattern chain and additional means for operating said chain for causing said fabric portion to be knit of a shorter length.

13. In a knitting machine, a pattern chain for controlling the length of a fabric portion being knitted, means for operating said chain for producing a fabric portionof a maximum length and means for providing a variable additional operation of said chain for producing a fabric portion of a shorter length.

14. In a knitting machine. a pattern chain for controlling the length of a fabric portion being knitted, means for operating said chain for producing a fabric portion of a certain length and means for operating said chain while said first operating means is inactive to cause said fabric portion to be knit of a. shorter length.

15. In a knitting machine, a pattern chain for controlling the length of a fabric portion being knitted, means for operating said chain step by step for producing a fabric portion of a maximum length and means for operating said chain between successive operations by said first means to cause said fabric portion to be knit of a shorter length.

16. In a knitting machine, a pattern chain for controlling the length of a fabric portion being knitted, means for operating said chain in uniform step by step operations for producing a fabric portion of a certain length and means for operating said chain between successive operations by said first means to cause said fabric'portion to be knit of a shorter length.

17. In a knitting machine, a pattern chain for controlling the length of a fabric portion being knitted, means for operating said chain in uniform step by step operations for producing a fabric portion of a certain length and means providing a variable additional operation of said chain of a length of one or more steps of the uniform operation of said chain to cause said fabric portion to be knit of a shorter length.

18. In a knitting machine, a pattern chain for controlling the length of a fabric portion being knitted, means for operating said chain in uniform step by step operations for producing a fabric portion of a certain length and means providing a variable additional operation of said chain of a length of one or more steps of the uniform operation of said chainbetween successive operations of said chain by said first means to cause said fabric portion to be knit of a shorter length.

19. In a machine for knitting hosiery, a pattern chain for controlling the length of a hosiery portion being knitted, means for operating said chain for producing a hosiery portion of a maximum length and a second chain operating means for providing an additional operation of said chain for causing said hosiery portion to be knit of a shorter length.

. FRANK R. PAGE. 

